Today, the U.S. House of Representatives begins debate on the Fiscal Year 2013 budget introduced by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI). The Ryan budget is a stark contrast to President Obama’s budget blueprint for strengthening the middle class, investing in education, and growing the economy.

“The Ryan budget sets the wrong priorities for America,” said Dennis Van Roekel, president of the National Education Association. “His budget is an American dream killer. He wants to balance the budget on the backs of the nation’s most vulnerable—low- and moderate-income Americans, children and seniors—while giving millionaires, billionaires, and big oil corporations deeper tax cuts. In short, it makes a mockery of shared sacrifice.”

In addition to attempting to end Medicare as we know it, the Ryan budget would make draconian cuts to education at all levels, from early childhood education to college, threatening to derail the American dream for millions of students. More than 9 million students would see their Pell Grants cut by more than $1,000 in 2014, and, over the next decade, more than one million students would lose this aid entirely. The Ryan budget also would eliminate Head Start for more than two million children over the next decade, and it would kick out nearly 200,000 children from the program in 2014 alone. Gutting our investment in education is a road to economic ruin.

“The Ryan dream killer of a budget stands in stark contrast with President Obama’s vision for America,” said Van Roekel. “The president’s budget rightly targets areas critical to growing the economy and restoring the middle class, including investing in education and building skills for American workers. His budget offers hope to disadvantaged children by investing in their education and providing pathways to good jobs and educational opportunities.”

“In contrast to the president’s vision, the Ryan Republican vision is more of the same misguided policies of cutting investments that make America stronger while doling out more tax breaks for the wealthiest. His budget would cause real pain to millions of Americans. America can and must do better than that,” concluded Van Roekel.

For detailed NEA analysis of the Ryan Republican budget and its negative impact on Head Start, Title I and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, please visit the following links:

The National Education Association is the nation's largest professional employee organization, representing more than 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators and students preparing to become teachers.

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